Home Maintenance Checklist by Month
The short answer
Every month, test your smoke and CO alarms and check your heating and cooling filter. [1][2][4] Have your cooling system checked in spring and your heating system in fall. [4] Replace 9-volt and hardwired backup alarm batteries once a year (10-year sealed alarms follow the manufacturer’s instructions), and clean the dryer lint filter before and after every load. [1][2][5] The rest of this list spreads small jobs across the year so nothing piles up.
Every month
- Test smoke alarms. Press the test button on each one. [1]
- Test CO alarms. [2]
- Check the HVAC air filter. Inspect, clean or change the filter in your furnace, central air conditioner or heat pump once a month. A dirty filter can raise energy costs and damage equipment. [4]
Every time you do laundry
- Clean the dryer lint filter before and after each cycle, and never run the dryer without it. [5]
Month by month
Spread across the year, the seasonal jobs look like this. The months are suggestions. The timing advice for HVAC check-ups and fuel-burning appliance inspections comes from the sources noted.
January
- Check the back of the dryer for lint buildup. [5]
- Look at the venting behind the dryer for damage, crushing or blockages. [5]
February
- Check the manufacture date on the back of each smoke alarm. Replace any that are 10 years old or older. [1]
March
- Book a spring check-up for your cooling system. Contractors get busy once summer arrives. [4] The spring time change is an easy reminder. [4]
- Replace smoke and CO alarm batteries once a year. [1][2] The spring time change makes an easy reminder.
April
- Spring cooling check-up. A typical check-up includes cleaning the coils, checking the refrigerant level and checking the condensate drain. [4]
May
- Walk around the outside of your home. Look at gutters, siding, windows and doors.
June
- Make sure the outdoor dryer vent flap opens when the dryer runs. [5]
July
- Check caulking around tubs, showers and sinks.
August
- Check that every bedroom, the hallway outside sleeping areas and every level of the home has a smoke alarm. [1] CO alarms belong on each level and outside sleeping areas. [2]
September
- Book a fall heating check-up. Fall is the best time, before contractors get busy in winter. [4]
October
- Have fuel-burning appliances inspected by a trained professional at the start of the heating season. That includes oil and gas furnaces, gas water heaters, gas ranges, gas dryers, fireplaces and wood stoves. Make sure flues and chimneys are connected, in good condition and not blocked. [3]
November
- Replace smoke and CO alarm batteries once a year. [1][2] If you skipped spring, the fall time change works too.
- Make sure the outdoor vent covering opens when the dryer is running. [5]
December
- Look back over the year. Note anything that needs a pro next year.
Smoke alarm basics
- Test every alarm monthly. [1]
- For 9-volt battery alarms, replace the batteries at least once a year. [1]
- For hardwired alarms, replace the backup battery at least once a year. [1]
- For 10-year sealed-battery alarms, follow the manufacturer’s instructions. [1]
- Replace smoke alarms 10 years from the manufacture date. [1]
- Never remove the battery to stop a cooking alarm. Open a window and press the hush button instead. [1]
Carbon monoxide basics
- Test CO alarms monthly and replace batteries yearly. [2]
- Never idle a car in the garage, even with the door open. [3]
- Never use a gas oven to heat your home, or a charcoal grill indoors. [3]
- If you think you have CO poisoning symptoms, get fresh air right away: open doors and windows, turn off fuel-burning appliances and leave the house. Go to an emergency room and tell the doctor you suspect CO poisoning. [3]
Keep the inside of the house on track with our simple cleaning schedule. Saving for repairs? See sinking funds categories.
Make it easier
Want it on paper? Use our printables to keep track as you go.
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